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I’ve been honored over the years to interview hundreds of people for articles, blogs, and books! A few of my non-fiction projects are Life, In Spite of Me and Plain Faith. Throughout the years I’ve learned how to create a better interview—one that will make the subject comfortable and help me as a writer. Here are my tips!

Prepare. Have a short list of questions you want to ask, but don’t be afraid to follow rabbit trails. Sometimes the best stuff comes from windy, unfocused answers.

Meet face-to-face if you can. There’s nothing like sitting across the table from someone to start a good conversation.

Be at ease. When you first meet, start with small talk. Talk about the weather, the latest news, or about what happened so far in your day. Be friendly to loosen things up.

Start with a brain dump. When I’m working on a longer project, I don’t slam the person with questions right away. Instead I ask question that will bring about a “brain dump.” Questions like, “Tell me about your childhood” or “Where did you grow up, what was it like?” Details can be nailed down later, but it’s always interesting how someone explains the narrative of his or her life. What the person chooses to tell (or to hide) is very revealing.

Use a digital recorder. I record all my interviews, and I take very few notes. Make sure you always have extra batteries.

Keep eye contract. Using a recorder allows me to keep eye contract with the person I’m interviewing. It lets the person know I’m not only interested, but I’m willing to build a connection.

Use a notebook or pen for brief notes. I’ll jot down dates, important people, and sometimes the beginning of a quote. It just gives me an idea of what to watch for later when I’m transcribing the interview.

Keep “off the record” off the record. If the person wants to tell you something—but doesn’t want it public—honor that. Turn off the recorder and just listen. Even if you can’t use those words, you’ll receive context.

Don’t fill in the silence. If the person you’re interviewing pauses, don’t rush in with words. Give him or her time to think. The best stuff comes out of what’s hardest to say.

Tell someone else. Find someone you trust and relate what you learned. If it’s important enough to repeat, it’s probably important enough to make it into the article or book. Then ask that person, “What stands out to you about this story?”

Focus on universal themes. The people we interview have interesting lives, but what part of his or her story will resonate most with others? Considering this will help you ask more-detailed questions as you progress.

Look for breath and depth. As you interview, don’t focus solely on the book or article. Get to know the person’s heart, message, and passion.

Create a character sketch. After the interview, create a character sketch of the person. What stands out? What are his or her life themes?

Write what’s compelling. When you sit down to write, focus on what’s compelling. Will part of the story bring others to change . . . or help them see a situation in a different light?

Consider your audience. What will they appreciate most? What details will mean a lot?

Write from your gut. You’ll have time to edit later, but write from your gut. Create scenes—like on the movie screen—and take your reader with you. You’ll be amazed by what you come up with. Your subject will be amazed, too!

How about you? Have you interviewed others for your writing? What tips do you have?

A question I get often is how to get a non-fiction book published. People have a passion for a certain ministry and they want to reach other people. That’s great! The trouble is how the publishing industry sees things.

I had a sweet woman write and ask me about how to get her book published. I’ve changed her name and topic to keep her anonymous, but here is my answer:

Dear Chelsea,

That’s good news that your book is already written! That’s a great start. You’re right that publishers are looking for “established” writers. They are looking for people who are “known” in their industry for what they are writing about. I think your book proposal will get noticed if they can see you’re an “expert” in this field. It would probably take a few years to get established in that.

Things You Can Do

Start a blog and build and audience of readers. (The greater the number of followers, the better.)

Get a following on social media, who know you as an expert on step parenting. (The topic of Chelsea’s book.)

Writing magazine articles on the topic.

Speak on it often.

Have a fantastic website.

These days, the thing about publishing is that writing a good book isn’t enough. Writing a great book isn’t enough. Publishing houses are looking for authors with “platforms” who have a ready-made audience who wants a book from that author. Unfortunately publishers have only a few book titles they publish a year, and tons and tons of authors wanting their books published. For example, some publishers might get 5000 submissions a year and publish 50. You are competing against established speakers, writers and others in the industry.

This shouldn’t discourage you, because new writers are getting published all the time! If you build your platform and grow your audience, publishers will sit up and take notice!